Advice on Audi Diesels

[biggrim 0]

I am seriously considering buying a Diesel car as I'm putting too many miles on the rado and I'm spending too much money on petrol every month. So I'm looking at spending £4k maximum on a car. I've been toying with the idea of either a Passat Estate or A4 Avant, however I totally forgot about the A3.

 

I'm just looking for a bit of advice from people who have either owned or currently own a diesel car from the vag stable. It has to be quite roomy (I'm nearly 6ft 5) so please no suggestions of Lupos or such like.

 

Any comments welcome.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

 

Graeme

[Guest]

odd, just as I opened this thread a guy in the office behind sai to a collegue "did you see an Audi Diesel just won an endurance race last night".

 

that was spooky

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Aye, the R8 - 650bhp and 811lb/ft torque worth of Audi diesel....in a car weighing 950Kg :-)

 

It set the Sebring lap record recently and none of the Yanks were remotely interested in it cause it wasn't a big block V8 with NOS and 22" spinners.....and diesel.....but it wiped the floor with everything. Not bad for it's debut race, eh?

 

Audi created it for power and endurance rather than economy, it uses the same amount of fuel as the petrol R6 LeMans car!

 

And back on topic, I'd get a Bora 130 TDI if you can find one for £4K. They're better made than the Golf (to satisfy the Bora's principal customer base, the yanks) and they drive better too. I drove a 55 plate Bora TDI recently, last of the line, fully loaded and it was a superb drive.

[Guest]

Kev knows his cheese, go for a Bora mate ;)

[mtc R32 0]

I've got an Audi A4 2.5tdi Quattro (180bhp)..... What a car!!!! Beleive me this is rapid, I've upset loads of pertol heads and handles like its on rails...

 

Delivers around 32.9mpg around town and motorways in its 40's....

 

Not within your budget tho, but just thought i'd boast how good diesels really are these days!!!!

[davidwort 0]

I am seriously considering buying a Diesel car as I'm putting too many miles on the rado and I'm spending too much money on petrol every month. So I'm looking at spending £4k maximum on a car. I've been toying with the idea of either a Passat Estate or A4 Avant, however I totally forgot about the A3.

 

I'm just looking for a bit of advice from people who have either owned or currently own a diesel car from the vag stable. It has to be quite roomy (I'm nearly 6ft 5) so please no suggestions of Lupos or such like.

 

Any comments welcome.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

 

Graeme

 

Passats are relatively cheap, but I prefer the look of the A4, preferably the 130 1.9, I guess you're looking at 7K plus though for the audi post 2001, don't like the earlier A4 much and they're not very good spec, air-con seems to be rare.

A great spec car is the A6, very similar in size/mechanics to the passat but much better spec and trim quality. Have to say though, for 4K you're really in passat territory though.

[CoxyLaad 0]

And back on topic, I'd get a Bora 130 TDI if you can find one for £4K. They're better made than the Golf (to satisfy the Bora's principal customer base, the yanks) and they drive better too. I drove a 55 plate Bora TDI recently, last of the line, fully loaded and it was a superb drive.

I own the above car, and apart from stupid rolly suspension (despite being a sport model) its a cracking car. I do hate diesels though.

[jinx 0]

Skoda octavia TDI.....4 grand shoulg get you a 2000 plate with about 75thou on it.......?

[Peakz 0]

£4K gets you a high mileage PD engine or decent non PD.

 

Non PD's are pretty quiet in comparison, set the pump timing right and it'll be both quick and economical.

 

Used to have a T plate A4 110 TDI and it was great, multi link front suspension is great (Passat has the same). DIS (trip comp) on A4's tend to go dim and the heater blower motor packs up but can be cheaply re-bushed.

Fantastic cars and not as common as Passats.

 

PD engines to have are the 100, 130 and if you're a mentalist the 150!

115's were only made for a short while due to head gasket, turbo and cooling problems.

Also all post March 2001 PD's are cheaper on road tax.

 

As Jinx has pointed out the Octy is extremely good value.

 

Oh, the later 110 engine (circa 2001 onwards) isn't PD but it's very good even though it only has a 5 speed 'box.

 

Personally I think you'd be better off buying a sexy Vento VR6

[Kevin Bacon 5]

I own the above car, and apart from stupid rolly suspension (despite being a sport model) its a cracking car. I do hate diesels though.

 

Yeah it is a bit soggy but it laughs off bumps and ruts the Corrado fumbles and clonks over.....which is exactly what you want from a daily hack. MK4s feel like they've got a nice bit of caster too by the way it turns in and when it's parked with the wheels on full lock! They look like they're about to tip over like Mercs.....which is what you want :lol:

[Jim 2]

My Golf GT TDI PD115 had done 119k with no obvious signs of cooling / turbo / headgasket problems.. ran like a peach in fact!

 

Bora's are definately better than Golfs.. you get all the same stuff for a LOT less money! They don't look as good as Golfs though, no doubt about that...

[Peakz 0]

Yeah I had a GT TDI 115 on an X plate, sadly too early to qualify for cheap road tax. Bought it for peanuts because the owner couldn't afford to fault find a non-starting issue, fixed it with a new £11 ECU relay.

 

Mine ran beautifully for the 7 months I owned it but I knew too many folks who'd had issues so I got rid and bought a funky Vento VR6 instead.

[Jim 2]

Heh - same as mine then. The tax thing irked me the most. Was paying the same tax as I would be on a Corrado VR6 (as it just went on engine capacity) yet a mate of mine with a PD150 was paying far far less simply because his was a 2002 model. I even thought it would be a good idea to phone up the DVLA and express my dismay at the situation, only to be told by a rather fed up sounding Welsh man to "take it up with Gordon Brown" - clearly he gets a lot of those calls every day!

[Walesy 0]

I had a 99 Audi A4 130 PD , great car! . Mine had Cruise , Climate , BOSE system etc - and gave around 48mpg. I'd deffo consider one again.

[Storm Warning 0]

I had the same mileage problem, I went for a Leon TDi SE (110BHP - non PD, Y Plate) Clocked up over 10k on it in the last 5-6months (now upto 124k on it) still runs very well, only expense has been a MAF, which I bought a Merc one. I found I could buy much newer for the money by going Seat than VW or Audi, skoda would be better still. Best £3k I have ever spent on a car.

 

Pay £115 Tax, normally get 50-60 MPG.

[CoxyLaad 0]

One thing to note also, I have severe traction problems in anything but bone dry weather. Turning the traction control of just has the front wheels spinning constantly. The problem is that the diesel engine goes from about what feels like 15ft/lbs to 180ft/lbs of torque in about 100rpm. definately a candidate for 4motion.

 

I would prefer a v6 4motion bora myself.

[RapidVII 0]

I am seriously considering buying a Diesel car as I'm putting too many miles on the rado and I'm spending too much money on petrol every month. So I'm looking at spending £4k maximum on a car. I've been toying with the idea of either a Passat Estate or A4 Avant, however I totally forgot about the A3.

 

I'm just looking for a bit of advice from people who have either owned or currently own a diesel car from the vag stable. It has to be quite roomy (I'm nearly 6ft 5) so please no suggestions of Lupos or such like.

 

Any comments welcome.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

 

Graeme

 

Have you thought about a Citroen AX 1.4D ? :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

R7

[Peakz 0]

CoxyLaad's got the right idea, Bora V6 4Motion.

 

Pity we don't get the continental models, they get 4Motion with the 1.8T and all PD engines too, plus they get these in the estate versions aswell.